How a physical space like BDD is supporting entrepreneurship in Beirut [Wamda TV]

Lebanon is infamous for the horrible state of its internet.
Yet, the tiny country is home to more than 1,500 ICT startups. How
did Lebanon, which is better known for political instability and
government gridlock, become a hotbed of innovation?

Mouhamad Rabah, general manager of Beirut Digital
District (BDD), sheds some light on how the cluster he's been
building for the past couple of years is meant to support the
Lebanese entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Rabah discusses how entrepreneurs in Lebanon face
challenges that range from access to talent and investment, to
government, bureaucracy, and weak internet and infrastructure.

"The educational system needs to be reshaped and
reworked to be able to prepare students for entrepreneurship," he
says.

Rabah notes that BDD aims to create the ultimate
business environment with added-value services and technical
support. Additionally, BDD aims to optimize the time entrepreneurs
and their teams spend at their offices with shared spaces like a
gym, a cafeteria and meeting rooms.

"Every element we have in BDD is meant to bring an
added value to the community."

Watch the video to also get a sense of what
entrepreneurs like Omar Christidis, CEO of ArabNet, Walid Abd
El Rahman, managing director at MIT technology, and Jad Berro,
founder and CEO of Innovo have to say.